Glossary

Accompaniment Glissando Playing methods

The underlying sounds used to support a A slide up or down from one musical note to Acoustic (non-electronic) sounds are made
melody line another, in the manner of a rapid, sliding scale by shaking, scraping, tapping, or blowing a
soundmaker
Acoustic Graphic notation
See Playing methods A form of notation in which the composer freely Pulse
Arrangement invents symbols which give an impression of See Beat
A new version of an existing piece of music sound Rest
Arrhythmic Graphic score A silence
See Free A score in which musical intention is recorded Rhythm
by means of graphic symbols Patterns of long and short sounds played within
Beat/pulse
Beat and pulse are used synonymously to refer Improvisation a steady beat
to the regular heartbeat of the music – the A piece of music which is created Rhythmical
‘steady beat’ spontaneously Music which is underpinned by a steady beat
Body percussion Improvise Rhythm pattern
Sounds which can be made using parts of the To invent music as you go along A short section of rhythm
body, eg clapping, tapping knees, etc. Leap Score
Call and response The space between two musical notes which is A written representation of music designed to
A style of music in which a leader sings or greater than a step (see Step movement) record a composer’s intention
plays a short melody (the call) and a chorus Major Solo
of singers/players respond with an answering One of the most common types of eight-note A piece of music for one singer or instrumentalist
short melody (the response) musical scale. Often described as having a
happy sound (see also Minor) Soundmaker
Chord
Any sound source used as a musical instrument
Two or more notes played at the same time Melodic phrase/phrase
A small unit of a melody, often corresponding Step movement
Conductor
to a line of a song Notes of a melody which move stepwise up or
The person elected to lead a group of singers
down
or instrumentalists Melody
Crescendo A tune Structure
Getting louder Most music is underpinned by a structure which
Metre may be as simple as beginning, middle and end
Dimensions/elements The grouping of beats into twos, threes, fours,
The inter-related building blocks of music etc, for instance in waltz music the beats are Symbol
(formerly referred to in the English National grouped in threes, whereas in march music they Any written representation of a sound
Curriculum as elements): duration, dynamics, are grouped in twos or fours Tempo (plural tempi)
pitch, structure, tempo, texture, and timbre (see Minor The speed at which music is performed, usually
definitions) One of the most common types of eight-note described in terms of fast/slow
Diminuendo musical scale. Often described as having a Texture
Getting quieter sad sound (see also Major) Layers of sound, such as those created by a
Dot notation Notations melody accompanied by a drum beat
A simple form of Western staff notation. Dots Ways of writing music down – examples Timbre
are placed in height and distance relation to include graphic notation and staff notation All instruments, including voices, have a
each other to indicate pitch and duration Ostinato (plural ostinatos/ostinati) particular sound quality which is referred to as
Drone A short rhythmic or melodic pattern which is timbre, eg squeaky
A sound or sounds played constantly repeated over and over Tremolo
throughout all or part of a piece of music as an Phrase The rapid repetition of notes, producing a
accompaniment See Melodic phrase quavering effect. It can either be on one note or
Duet between two notes
Pictorial symbols
A song or piece of music for two parts of equal A simple form of notation in which a picture Tuned percussion
importance is used to represent a sound, eg car picture = Percussion instruments which make sounds with a
Duration motor sounds defined pitch, eg glockenspiel
The word used in music to refer to the length of Untuned percussion
Pitch
a sound or silence Percussion instruments which make sounds of
Refers to the complete range of sounds in a
Dynamics/volume piece of music from the lowest to the highest indefinite pitch, eg hand drum
The loudness of the music, usually described in Volume
Pitch movement
terms of loud/quiet See Dynamics
The steps and leaps by which a melody moves
Elements up and down in pitch
See Dimensions
Pizzicato
Free/arrhythmic The technique of playing a string instrument,
Music which has no discernible steady beat eg violin, by plucking the strings rather than
playing them with the bow

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